Writers’ Room adjusting well to new home

Standing in the reception area, looking out at the Saint Joseph River, it almost seems a shame that the Writers’ Room is only temporarily in its current location.

Due to the ongoing renovations of the Administration Building, many campus services, such as financial aid, admissions, parking, student counseling and many more have been temporarily relocated. One such service that has been moved is the Writers’ Room.

The center that offers tutoring for writing has temporarily been relocated to the fourth floor of the Schurz Library. However, moving hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing for the Writers’ Room.

“This is a very nice place to be,” said Joshua Giorgio-Rubin, senior lecturer and administrator of the Writers’ Room. “It’s a nice, bright space with a beautiful view.”

It would be hard to argue. Gazing out the large windows in the reception area, you will be met with sunshine and a scenic view of the Saint Joseph River and the treetops that surround it.

Ginny Heidemann, director of the Academic Centers for Excellence, agrees. “The natural light is beautiful,” she said. But it’s not only the views that have staff and students excited; it’s also the opportunistic location in the library.

Giorgio-Rubin said one of the advantages to being in the library is that the students are able to use the space around them to study. They can reserve a conference room, use computers and generally hang around the area of the Writers’ Room to study, something that the old space in the Administration Building couldn’t offer.

Student feedback on the new location has been very positive, and Heidemann said the the Writers’ Room could possibly stay there permanently. However, current plans are still for the Writers’ Room to move back into the Administration Building once the renovations are complete.

The renovations that moved the Writers’ Room, among many other services, out of the Administration Building are moving along nicely, said IUSB spokesperson Ken Baierl.

The $4.4 million project is scheduled to wrap up before the fall semester of 2017, said Baierl. “It’s currently on schedule and hasn’t faced any major complications.”

With most of the first floor getting a facelift, the building should be more convenient for students when it reopens.

“The project will transform the way we provide student services,” said Baierl. “When it is completed, all of the offices that support students, from admission to graduation, will be together.”

“We studied adjacencies and designed the area to have the right people next to each other to be more effective, efficient and convenient for the students and staff,” said Baierl.

While the renovations continue, students and staff who use the Writers’ Room remain at ease in their temporary home. Giorgio-Rubin and Heidemann praised the library staff for graciously accepting them.

“We have been very warmly received,” Heidemann said. “It’s been a really good fit for us.”